Blowgun having tethered projectiles

ABSTRACT

A blowgun system provides a unique and improved method of fishing and hunting. The system can comprise a blowgun having a reel device and tethered projectiles, such as darts, to facilitate retrieval of the projectile and the target (e.g., fish, land animals, etc.) during use.

PRIORITY

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/715,708, filed Aug. 7, 2018, which isincorporated fully herein by reference.

FIELD

The present invention relates generally to blowguns and, moreparticularly, to a blowgun system having a tethered projectile adaptedto facilitate hunting, fishing, and other sports and hobbies.

BACKGROUND

Conventional blowgun devices include a long tube for shooting lightprojectiles, such as darts. The projectile is placed inside the tube,with a force created by a user's exhalation to pneumatically propel theprojectile. While blowguns have evolved and can be used in sports andhunting, such as fishing, there are inherent drawbacks. Namely, once theuser shoots the projectile dart at an animal, such as a fish, the animalcan escape or move and, resultingly, take the dart with it. For example,if a fish is shot and moves further below the surface of the water, ortraverses away from the user in the water, it is unlikely the user willbe able to retrieve the fish or the dart. This is also the case whenusing a blowgun to target land animals—e.g., they can run away from theuser, with the imbedded dart, if they are not immediately immobilized bythe shot.

Accordingly, there is a need for new and improved systems and methods tosolve the innate issues around using a blowgun for hunting or fishing.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention comprise a blowgun system includinga proximal mouthpiece portion, a distal expelling portion, one or moreintermediate hollow tube portions, a handle portion, a reel device, anda projectile quiver adapted to hold a plurality of projectiles—e.g.,barbed darts. A line tethers the projectiles to the reel device tofacilitate retrieval of the projectile and the target (e.g., animals)during use. A user can blow into the mouthpiece such that the airpressure through the hollow tubes forces the projectile from theexpelling end. Because the dart is tethered upon leaving the blowgun andpenetrating the target (e.g., fish, land animal, birds, reptiles, etc.),the user can simply operate the reel device to pull the target backtoward the blowgun and user.

The above summary is not intended to describe each illustratedembodiment, claimed embodiment or implementation of the invention. Thedetailed technology and preferred embodiments implemented for thesubject invention are described in the following paragraphs accompanyingthe appended drawings for people skilled in this field to wellappreciate the features of the claimed invention. It is understood thatthe features mentioned hereinbefore and those to be commented onhereinafter may be used not only in the specified combinations, but alsoin other combinations or in isolation, without departing from the scopeof the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of thefollowing detailed description of various embodiments of the inventionin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a blowgun system having a reel device, in accordance withembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows tetherable projectile darts for use with a blowgun system,in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 3-5 show a blowgun system having a reel device, in accordance withembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a blowgun system having a reel device in use, in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a partial view of a blowgun system having a projectile dartattached to a reel device via a tether line, in accordance withembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a closeup view of a quiver assembly, and tetheredprojectile dart, for a blowgun system, in accordance with embodiments ofthe present invention.

While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternativeforms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in thedrawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood,however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to theparticular embodiments described. On the contrary, the invention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring generally to FIGS. 1-8, a blowgun system and method areprovided. The blowgun system 100 can include a proximal mouthpieceportion 102, a distal expelling portion 108, one or more intermediatehollow tube portions 104, 106, a handle portion 110, a reel device 114,and a projectile quiver assembly 116. Further, one or more eyes 115(e.g., fishing rod eyes) can be included anywhere with or along theblowgun to guide and contain the tether line 130 along the blowgun. Thehandle portion 110 can include a pistol grip style handle (e.g., FIG.1), a wrap, an exterior tubular grip section (e.g., FIG. 7), externaltexturing on one of the tube portions 104, 106, and the like. In certainembodiments, the hollow tube portions are telescoping to provide forselective adjustment of the overall length of the blowgun.

As shown in FIGS. 1-5, various embodiments of the blowgun system 100 areenvisioned for the present invention. FIG. 1 depicts the one or moreintermediate hollow tube portions 104, 106 joined with a couplingelement 112 to allow for various tube lengths. The reel device 114 canbe attached or otherwise provided proximate the mouthpiece portion 102,or anywhere else along the length of the blowgun's hollow tubes,including proximate the distal expelling portion 108. The variouscomponents of the system 100 can be constructed of polymers, woods,composites, metals, and the like.

FIG. 2 further details exemplary projectile darts 120 for use with thesystem 100. The darts 120 can include a cone or stopper end 122, anintermediate shaft 124, and a barbed head or tip 126. Further, an anchorelement 128 is provided with the dart 120 to facilitate selectiveattachment to the reel device 114 via a tether line 130. Varioustethered dart 120 designs and features can be included with the presentinvention, including alternative ends 122, shafts 124, tips 126, anchorelements 128, and the like, without deviating from the spirit and scopeof the invention. In various embodiments, the tether line 130 includesone or more fishing lines (e.g., “SpiderWire®”). For illustrativepurposes only, the reel device 114 depicted herein is a closed facefishing reel. The reel device 114 can include any of the myriad offishing or like reels or retrieval mechanisms known to those of ordinaryskill in the art. In various embodiments, a reel device 114 is notincluded and, instead, the dart 120 is tethered to the blowgun without areel device (e.g., cane pole).

In use, as shown in FIGS. 6-8, the tethered projectile dart 120 isloaded (e.g., end 122 first) and sealed into the expelling end 108, withthe dart being tethered to the reel device 114 via the tether line. Theuser positions their mouth into fluid communication with the hollowtubes 104, 106 at the mouthpiece 102. The user then blows into themouthpiece 102 such that the air pressure through the hollow tubesforces the dart 120 from the expelling end 108 at a high velocity.Because the dart 120 is tethered upon leaving the blowgun andpenetrating the target (e.g., fish, land animals, birds, reptiles,etc.), the user can simply operate the reel device 114 to pull thetarget back toward the blowgun and user. As such, because the target issnared it can be reeled in and is much less likely to get away. This isextremely beneficial when using the system 100 for fishing or hunting.The barb of the projectile secures within target (via the line to theblowgun) so that the user can retrieve it after the shot.

Specifically referring to FIGS. 7-8, the projectile quiver assembly 116can include a disc or similar attachment mechanism 118, and a pluralityof retention sleeves or slots 119 a, adapted to hold or store aplurality of projectiles 120—such as the barbed darts. The slots 119 aand other structures of the quiver can be constructed of variousresilient polymers, or metals and other acceptable materials. The quiverassembly 116 can further include a dart receiving pad or element 119 b,with the barbed tips 126 of the retained darts 120 abutting against, orpartially deforming or penetrating into, the element 119 b to secure thedarts within the assembly 116 during transportation and use.

Components and portions of the blowgun of the present invention can beconstructed of various polymers, woods, composites, and metals, and cantake on various sizes, shapes, and dimensional constructs. Further,accessories such as lasers, scopes or sights, and the like can beincluded with embodiments of the system 100 as well.

Other known devices to secure a fishing reel or like elements to ablowgun, or devices that can be adapted or used to connect string, wire,braided line, or monofilament lines to a blowgun, or a blowgunprojectile, can be employed as well without deviating from the spiritand scope of the present invention.

While embodiments of the blowgun system 100 have been described anddepicted for use with a mouthpiece and air forced through the tubes by auser, aspects of the present invention are also envisioned forimplementation with a blowgun including a compressed or forced airsource to expel the projectiles. Such embodiments can include theprojectiles, reel, and tethering benefits and features of the presentinvention.

While the invention has been described in connection with what ispresently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments,it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that theinvention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments. It will bereadily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that manymodifications and equivalent arrangements can be made thereof withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, suchscope to be accorded the broadest interpretation of the appended claimsso as to encompass all equivalent structures and products. Moreover,features, components, elements, or aspects of various exampleembodiments may be mixed and matched (even if such combination is notexplicitly described herein) without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A blowgun system, comprising: a hollow blowgundevice having a mouthpiece portion and an expelling portion; and a reeldevice coupled to the hollow blowgun device, the real device including aretractable tether line.
 2. The system of claim 1, further including aquiver assembly.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the quiver assemblyincludes one or more attachment mechanisms configured to receive one ormore projectiles.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the hollow blowgundevice is configured to receive at least one projectile at the expellingportion.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one projectileis a projectile dart.
 6. The system of claim 1, further including a oneor more projectile darts.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one ormore projectile darts include a shaft member and a barbed end.
 8. Thesystem of claim 6, wherein the one or more projectile darts include ananchoring element configured to secure with the retractable tether line.9. The system of claim 1, wherein the hollow blowgun device includes oneor more eye guide elements configured to guide the retractable tetherline.
 10. The system of claim 1, further including an extending handleportion.
 11. A blowgun system, comprising: a blowgun device having oneor more hollow tubular portions, a mouthpiece portion, and an expellingportion; a reel device coupled to the blowgun device, the reel deviceincluding a retractable tether line; and one or more projectile dartsreceivable within the expelling portion and couplable with theretractable tether line.
 12. The system of claim 11, further including aquiver assembly.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the quiver assemblyincludes one or more attachment mechanisms configured to receive the oneor more projectile darts.
 14. The system of claim 11, wherein the one ormore projectile darts include a shaft member and a barbed end.
 15. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein the one or more projectile darts include ananchoring element couplable with the retractable tether line.
 16. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein the blowgun device includes one or more eyeguide elements configured to guide the retractable tether line along theone or more hollow tubular elements.
 17. The system of claim 11, furtherincluding a handle portion.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein thehandle portion is extendable transverse from the one or more hollowtubular portions.
 19. The system of claim 11, wherein the reel device isa closed face fishing reel.
 20. The system of claim 11, wherein the oneor more hollow tubular portions includes at least two operatively joinedhollow tubular portions.